Collapsible switch and rack

ABSTRACT

A high voltage multipole switchgear frame comprising substantially parallel longitudinal rails; base rails for each pole spanning the longitudinal rails. The base rails are hingedly connected to the longitudinal frames to permit collapse of the frame for shipment from a rectilinear operative arrangement of the rails and poles to an acute angle parallelogram requiring smaller volume; and being reerectable and secured in operative position at the installation site. This arrangement makes it possible to complete and align the switchgear at the factory rather than in the field.

United States Patent [191 Boney Apr. 16, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE SWITCH AND RACK Prima Examiner-James R. Scott 751 t:Willl A.B b ,P. 1 nve n or am oney Greens mg Assistant Examiner-Gerald P. Tolin [73] ASSlgneeI I-T-E Imperial Corporation, Spring Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb &

House, Pa. s fi [22] Filed: June 29, 1973 ABSTRACT [21] Appl- 374,898 A high voltage multipole switchgear frame comprising substantially parallel longitudinal rails; base rails for 52 US. (:1 317/103, 200/48 CB, 174/161 R eaeh P Spanning the longitudinal rails- The base [51] Int. Cl. H02b l/04 Tails are hingedly connected to the longitudinal frames [58] Field of Search 317/103, 117; 200/48; to permit collapse of the frame for Shipment from a 174/1 R rectilinear operative arrangement of the rails and poles to an acute angle parallelogram requiring 56 Ref r Cited smaller volume; and being reerectable and secured in UNITED STATES PATENTS operative position at the installation site. This arrange- 3 4 ment makes it possible to complete and align the gis g switchgear at the factory rather than in the field. 3,043,924 7/1962 Johnson 200/48 R 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE SWITCH AND RACK The present invention relates to a high voltage switchgear, and more particularly to high voltage switch support structures and switchgear which may readily be shipped and erected in the field.

Field assembly of high voltage air switches had become increasingly expensive. Switches are normally shipped from the manufacturer in a number of parts and pieces that must be assembled and mounted on switch racks before final adjustment and energization. One of the principal reasons for this amount of field assembly is the bulk taken by an assembled and adjusted switch in transportation from the manufacturer to the user. Fully assembled switches with their associated interphase spacing of open air substantially reduce the number of switches and therefore pounds of equipment that can be shipped per vehicle when compared with field-assembled units. Some switches when so assembled are so large that they cannot be shipped by any commercial vehicle. The present invention therefore permits complete factory assembly and adjustment of switches on insulators and switch racks but allows the final assembled and adjusted assembly to be collapsed or folded prior to shipment to reduce the bulk and of course permit it to be re-erected and unfolded for installation at the point of use.

The present invention has for its basic concept the arrangement of all switch and rack components so that they are built and arranged in rectangles with a single pinned linkage similar to a hinge in each corner. After factory aassembly and adjustment the single pins would thereafter act as hinges and the complete switch rack with the switches thereon can be collapsed into a parallelogram by folding or'collapsing the rectangular sections into non-normal parallelograms as hereafter described.

This brings the phases close together and substantially reduces the bulk required for shipment. Any braces that are required for extra strength and rigidity are according to this invention designed to be unbolted at one end prior to shipment and folded back along the sides of one of the rectangles of the main members.

On receipt of the assembled switch and rack the installer rotates the angles back into normal relationship, bolts in the bracing for assembly and lifts the entire fully assembled and adjusted switch and rack into its pedestal for use.

The present invention therefore has for its principal object the arrangements of high voltage multiple phase switch-gear in such manner that the switch may be assembled and factory adjusted prior to final installation and may thereafter be collapsed after full adjustment and shippedv in the collapsed position for re-erection at the site where it is to be used. The result thereby achieved is extremely important since most high voltage switches, owing to their size, are required to be shipped completely disassembled and a great deal of field labor is therefore required for assembly and adjustment.

Switches so assembled at the factory and then collapsed will substantially reduce freight and crating costs to allow more efficient use of vehicles and crating materials.

Heretofore the principal method used for shipping switches was to ship single pole units only partially or fully assembled. These were then finally assembled as multipole units in the field, mounted on switch racks. Thereafter the interphase operating mechanism was installed and other components and appurtenances aded and field adjusted prior to use.

Under such field conditions the following diasdvantages occurred.

1. Field assembly is a very closely method to assemble switches.

2. The field assemblers are not fully familiar with the switches involved and final adjustments are not as accurate as would be made by factory personnel.

3. Disassembled parts occasionally were lost causing extra delays.

4. Field labor is normally more costly than factory labor.

5. In cases where switches have been fully assembled at the factory for shipment and mounted on their associated switch rack, high. volume to weight (bulk) ratio is disadvantageous and high shipping and crating charges are a result.

In case of some very high voltage ratings where phase spacing and Switchblade lengths are large, such as 230 Kv or above, shipment by commercial vehicles is impossible due to length, width or height dimensions. Therefore, these products have in the past, had to be shipped disassembled. The present invention will permit fully assembled and adjusted switches and racks of these ratings to be shipped by commercial vehicles.

In the case of extremely large switch arrangements where even the height dimension must be reduced during shipment the fully assembled and adjusted switch with collapsible rack can be shipped with the insulators removed so that only the insulator structures need be added in the field.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the novel switch support structure of the present invention showing the same in fully erected position.

FIG.2 is a view in perspective corresponding to that of FIG. 1 but showing the switch in position collapsed for shipment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the erected switch structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the collapsed switch structure of Fig. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a portion of the switch on a supporting pedestal with the operating member secured thereto.

FIG. 6 is a view taken from line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing another view of the operating structure.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is here shown a three phase switch 10 comprising the switch phases 1 l, 12, 13 mounted on a supporting frame 14. The supporting frame 14 comprises a pair of longitudinal rails 15, 16 across which are mounted the rails 17, 18, 19, each of the rails 17, 18, 19 forming a base individual to a single phase. At each outer end of each rail 17, l8, 19 there is mounted an, insulator 20, 21 for rail 17. 22, 23 for rail 18 and 24,25 for rail 19, corresponding to the three phases 1], 12 and 13. These insulators are secured in any suitable manner to their respective rails or bases 17, l8, 19 as for instance by the bracket mounts 30. The mounts 30 serve to support their respective insulators 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 rigidly so that they will not rotate with respect to their respective rails l7, l8,

19. They are of course aligned at the factory for the exact and correct orientation with respect to the moving contact elements as hereinafter described.

At the top of each of the insulators 20, 22, 24 is located a stationary contact structure 32, 32, 32, the rear of which is seen, the stationary contact structure being so arranged that it will receive the movable contact (not shown) at the end of the individual contact arms 33, 33, 33. At the top of each of the insulators 21, 23, 25 is also located a stationary contact structure the front of which is seen including the contact fingers 36. These are arranged to receive the movable contacts 37 at the end of the movable contact arms 38, 38, 38.

The center pole of each of the phases 11, 12 and 13 which carries the movable contact arms 33, 33, 33 of each phase is a rotatable insulator 40 which is rotatably mounted in the brackets 41 on each of the rails 17, 18 and 19. The insulators 40 carrying the movable contact arms 33, 33, 33 may be rotated simultaneously as hereinafter described to engage the stationary contacts 32, 35 or disengage them being rotated substantially 90 from the engaged to the disengaged position. Therefore, rotation of each of the-insulators 40 rotating the movable contact arms will either close the circuits or open the circuits.

Basically the switchgear shown is a disconnect type of switch which is usually placed in series with a circuit breaker or circuit interrupter in order to maintain an open circuit after the current has been interrupted; and the circuit breaker of interrupter in series therewith may be reclosed prior to reclosure of the disconnect switch. The operating mechanism for this type of high voltage switchgear is shown generally in prior US Pat. No. 3,324,258 also assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

When the switch of FIG. 1 is installed on its pedestal, which may include a number of support members of the type shown in FIG. 5, operating mechanism which may be motorized as shown in the said prior US. Pat. No. 3,324,258 or which may be manually operated is connected to the switch of FIG. 1.

It should be noted that while only one such pedestal 50 is shown in FIG. 5 a sufficient number of pedestals will be used in order to support the entire switchgear structure shown in FIG. 1 and such pedestals will ordinarily be connected to the rails 15 and 16.

The operating mechanism 55 is connected into the racking or operating base structure frame of FIG. 1 and essentially has the function of rotating a shaft 61 located in the operating frame 60. The shaft 61 is provided with a crank 62 connected by pin 63 to link 64 which is connected by pin 65 to crank 66 on the movable contact supporting insulator 23. Consequently rotation of the shaft 61 will through the link 64 rotate and the crank 66 rotate the insulator 23 of phase 12 which is the movable contact carrier for phase 12. Crank 66 is extended on the opposite side to form crank 66A which through pin 67 and link 68 is connected by pin 69 to crank 70 on rotating or central insulator 23 of phase 11. The link 68 is also extended on the other side of pin 67 to form link 69 which is connected by pin 70 to crank 71 of rotatable insulator 23 of phase 13. (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). Consequently rotation of the single shaft 61 in operating frame or rack 60 will operate all of the rotatable insulator members 40 to operate the switch-gear between the open and the closed position.

For this purpose one of the pedestals 50 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which supports the switchgear rails 15 and 16 also carries the switch operator 55 which is essentially a rotatable vertical shaft connected to the switchgear vertical shaft 61 so that the switchgear vertical shaft 61 may rotate therewith. The vertical shaft 80 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 81 secured by bracket 82 to the pedestal 50. The lower end of the rotatable vertical shaft 80 passes through bearing 83 in which is located an appropriate gear box and angle changing mechanism (not shown). The bearing 83 is also secured at 84 to the pedestal 50. A crank 85 entering the gear box 83 may be utilized, through the gear box, on rotation of the crank 85 to translate the motion of the crank 85 into corresponding rotation of the shaft 80 thereby operating the vertical shaft 61 in the switchgear to operate the cranks and links hereinbefore described to move the switchgear between the open and closed position.

The essential element of the present invention is the mounting of the transverse rails 17, 18, 19 on the longitudinal rails 15, 16, so that they may be rotated with respect thereto. Thus while in FIG. 3 four connecting elements 100, 101, 102, 103 are shown at each end for the connection between rails 17 and 19 with the respective longitudinal rails 15 and 16, prior to shipment the connecting elements 100, 101, 102 are removed and a pin 103 is left in position at the 103 location at each corner. Similarly while four connecting elements 105, 106, 107, 108 are shown between the center rail 18 and the longitudinal rails 15 and 16, prior to shipment the pins 105, 106, 107 are removed; after alignment and adjustment the fastening means 105, 106, 107 and only the pin 108 remains.

It may thus be seen that since only the pins 103 and 108 are present at each corner the entire assembled switchgear may be moved or collapsed from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

To aid such collapse, since the switchgear is usually extremely large, collapsing bars 110, 111 are inserted in corresponding openings 112, 113 of the end rails 17 and 19 on opposite sides so that two men on opposite sides by pushing toward each other against the bars 110, 111 may move the structure from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

These collapsing bars 110, 111 may be removed or if desired may even be left in place during shipment and are subsequently used in the field to be operated by two men working in the opposite direction to move the structure from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 back to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

When this is done in the field, the fastening devices 100, 101, 102 are secured being either bolted or riveted in place as desired and the same way be done with.

the fastening devices 105, 106, 107. The hinge pins 103 and 108 may be removed and permanent fastening devices may be installed.

In this way the switchgear may be erected and fully aligned at the factory by factory personnel, then collapsed for shipment so that they may fit, without being disassembled on a transport vehicle, and thereafter reerected by being moved from the position of FIGS. 2 and 4 to the position of FIGS. 1 and 3. At this time the field men may be operating the bars 110 and 111 in the opposite or opening direction move the switchgear to the erected position; thereafter the fastening devices 100,101, 102 are set in place to maintain the erected position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and similarly the fastening devices 105, 106, 107 may be secured in position and the various hinge pins 103 and 108 may be removed and bolts or other fastening devices substituted therefore.

In this way the entire unit which has been aligned and adjusted at the factory remains in alignment when erected while nevertheless it may be shipped in collapsed condition.

As previously pointed out the minimizing of the erecting operations in the field makes it possible to do all of the adjustment and alignment at the factory while at the same time minor adjustment may be made as desired in the field.

Also the parts of extremely large switchgear such as 230 kV and higher switchgear may now be shipped assembled in erected form rather than by having the various phases and in some cases parts of phases shipped separately for erection in the field where the possibility of delays in shipment and omissions in shipment interfere with the erection of the device. The entire unit being shipped as one package is simply assembled as one package and erected as one package. The only task required in the field is the movement as previously described of the unit from the condition of FIGS. 2 and 4 to the condition of FIGS. 1 and 3, the removal of the erecting bars 110, 111 and the insertion of the fastening devices 100, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107 and the substitution of fastening devices for the hinge pins at 103 and 108.

The entire unit is then placed on its pedestal or support, one such pedestal or support being shown at the support member 50 of FIG. 5, a plurality of such supports 50 being used as required and the unit is then ready for connection into the system.

Where bracing is required cross or V brace of the general type shown at 120, 121, 122, 123 of FIG. 3 may be provided connected between the rails or 16 and the appropriate cross rails 17 or 19. For shipment and collapsing purposes the braces 120-123, when originally assembled at the factory may have removable pins 130, 131 at either end as shown in FIG. 3. One of the pins, for instance pin 130, may be a removable pin and one of the pins for instance pin 131 may be a hinge pin. After erection and alignment at the factory the pins 130 are removed and the bracing members 120, 121, 122 and 123 are folded back parallel to their respective rails 15 and 16 prior to collapse of the unit from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to the condition of FIGS. 2 and 4. After the unit has been erected in the field to the position of FIGS. 1 and 3 the bracing members 120, 121, 122 and 123 are swung to the position shown in FIG. 3. Permanent fastenings are secured at the locations 130 and the hinge pin at 131 in each case is either converted to a permanent fastening or removed and a permanent fastening substituted.

During shipment it may be desirable to interconnect and brace the upper ends of the insulators 20, 40, 21 to each other or to the similar insulators at the other phases. For this purpose a removable bar 140 is provided at each location which is connected by removable bolts 141, 141 to the upper end of each insulator preferably to the current carrying connection for each of the contacts. These bars 140 will maintain appropriate spacing between the insulators and maintain them in alignment and reduce vibration during shipment. When the structure is fully erected and physically and mechanically aligned the bracing bars are removed in order to enable a circuit through the switchgear to be established.

In the foregoing the application of this concept is described in connection with a horizontal double sidebreak center rotating insulator switch. The concept is obviously applicable as well to vertical break, single center-break and horizontal single side-break switches that are mounted on similar bases or rails and operated with similar operating mechanisms.

In the foregoing the invention has been described only in connection with preferred illustrative embodiments thereof. It is preferred however that the scope of the invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein contained but only by the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Switchgear having a plurality of poles, each pole including a movable contact, a movable contact carrying arm and a complementary contact,

a frame for supporting said plurality of poles; said frame comprising:

a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal members,

a base for each pole, each base being supported across and spanning said pair of substantially parallel longitudinal members,

said switchgear having an operative position in which an axis of each base is substantially normal to said longitudinal members in one position;

said switchgear having a shipping position in which said axis of each base is at an acute angle to each longitudinal member;

the connection between each base and each longitudinal member including a pivot;

each base and each longitudinal member being rotatable with respect to each other at said pivots;

said longitudinal members being translatably movable toward each other from the said operative position wherein the axes of said bases are normal to said longitudinal members to the said shipping position wherein said axes of said bases are at an acute angle to said longitudinal members;

and being translatably movable to back to said operative position.

2. The switchgear of claim 1 wherein each of said longitudinal members comprises a rail,

and each of said base comprises a rail, the said longitudinal rails and base rails being rectilinearly arranged in the said operative position; said bases and rails forming an acute angled parallelogram in the said shipping position. 3. The switchgear of claim 2 wherein additional securing means are provided between the bases and rails in the said operative position retaining said bases, rails and longitudinal rails in rectilinear form when moved to said operative position. 4. The switchgear of claim 2 in which each switch pole includes a complementary contact structure supported on said base rail, a support structure for said complementary contact structure extending from said base rail in a plane normal to the plane formed by said base rail and said longitudinal rails,

a support structure for said movable contact arm ex tending from said base rail parallel to said support structure for said complementary contact,

the support structure for said movable contact arm being rotatable with respect to said base rail,

and means for rotating said support structure for said movable contact arm between a position in which said movable contact on said movable contact arm engages the complementary contact and a position where it is disengaged.

5. The switchgear of claim 4 and an interconnection between said means for rotating said support structure for rotating said movable contact arm and the said rotating means on the remaining poles of said plurality of poles;

said interconnection comprising links extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal rails and being translatably movable with respect to said longitudinal rails as the said longitudinal rails are moved between the said operative position and the said shipping position 6. The switchgear of claim 5 in which at least one additional brace member is provided hingedly connected to a selected one of said rails; said brace member being connectable to a rail extending at an angle to the rail to which it is hingedly connected in the operative position of said switchgear.

7. The switchgear of claim 5 in which said means for rotating said support structure for said movable contact arm comprises an operating member connected to and rotating at least one of said moving contact arm structures; said interconnection transmitting the force of said operating member to the moving contact arm structure of the others of said plurality of poles.

8. The switchgear of claim 3 in which a pair of removable collapsing levers are provided;

means at a pair of diagonally opposite ends of said frame for receiving and removably retaining an end of each collapsing lever; said collapsing levers being movable together to operate said frame from a rectilinear operative position of the frame of the switchgear to a shipping position and back to the said operating position. 

1. Switchgear having a plurality of poles, each pole including a movable contact, a movable contact carrying arm and a complementary contact, a frame for supporting said plurality of poles; said frame comprising: a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal members, a base for each pole, each base being supported across and spanning said pair of substantially parallel longitudinal members, said switchgear having an operative position in which an axis of each base is substantially normal to said longitudinal members in one position; said switchgear having a shipping position in which said axis of each base is at an acute angle to each longitudinal member; the connection between each base and each longitudinal member including a pivot; each base and each longitudinal member being rotatable with respect to each other at said pivots; said longitudinal members being translatably movable toward each other from the said operative position Wherein the axes of said bases are normal to said longitudinal members to the said shipping position wherein said axes of said bases are at an acute angle to said longitudinal members; and being translatably movable to back to said operative position.
 2. The switchgear of claim 1 wherein each of said longitudinal members comprises a rail, and each of said base comprises a rail, the said longitudinal rails and base rails being rectilinearly arranged in the said operative position; said bases and rails forming an acute angled parallelogram in the said shipping position.
 3. The switchgear of claim 2 wherein additional securing means are provided between the bases and rails in the said operative position retaining said bases, rails and longitudinal rails in rectilinear form when moved to said operative position.
 4. The switchgear of claim 2 in which each switch pole includes a complementary contact structure supported on said base rail, a support structure for said complementary contact structure extending from said base rail in a plane normal to the plane formed by said base rail and said longitudinal rails, a support structure for said movable contact arm extending from said base rail parallel to said support structure for said complementary contact, the support structure for said movable contact arm being rotatable with respect to said base rail, and means for rotating said support structure for said movable contact arm between a position in which said movable contact on said movable contact arm engages the complementary contact and a position where it is disengaged.
 5. The switchgear of claim 4 and an interconnection between said means for rotating said support structure for rotating said movable contact arm and the said rotating means on the remaining poles of said plurality of poles; said interconnection comprising links extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal rails and being translatably movable with respect to said longitudinal rails as the said longitudinal rails are moved between the said operative position and the said shipping position.
 6. The switchgear of claim 5 in which at least one additional brace member is provided hingedly connected to a selected one of said rails; said brace member being connectable to a rail extending at an angle to the rail to which it is hingedly connected in the operative position of said switchgear.
 7. The switchgear of claim 5 in which said means for rotating said support structure for said movable contact arm comprises an operating member connected to and rotating at least one of said moving contact arm structures; said interconnection transmitting the force of said operating member to the moving contact arm structure of the others of said plurality of poles.
 8. The switchgear of claim 3 in which a pair of removable collapsing levers are provided; means at a pair of diagonally opposite ends of said frame for receiving and removably retaining an end of each collapsing lever; said collapsing levers being movable together to operate said frame from a rectilinear operative position of the frame of the switchgear to a shipping position and back to the said operating position. 